Air-expanding water-elevator.



PATBNTED JUNE 14, 1904.

A. BYE. AIR EXPANDING WATER ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1902.

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N0 MODEL.

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PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

A. BYE. AIR EXPANDING WATER ELEVATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 24,1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

Patented June 14, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREWV BYE, OF BUTTE, MONTANA.

AIR-EXPANDING WATER-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,615, dated June 14,1904,

Application filed July 24, 1902. Serial No. 116,803- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW BYE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Butte, in the county of Silverbow and State of Montana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvernents in Air-Expanding Water-Elevators;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to compressed-air water-lifts, and has for itsobject to provide an apparatus whereby the expansion of air may be usedfor'elevating the water.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the character describedwhich shall be simple of construction, durable-in use, comparativelyinexpensive of production, and efflcient in action.

WVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,which'will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts insection of an air-lift embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan viewof the receiving-chamber. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through theairchest and casing of the slide-valve. Fig. 4 is a detail view of theconnection between the outer end of the valve-stem and the rockinglever. Fig. 5 shows a bottom plan view and opposite end views of thesliding and oscillating piston. Fig. 6 is a side view of the pistondisconnected from the slide-valve and shows the valve and a portion ofthe air-chest in vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 7 is ahorizontal section through the piston-casing.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1represents the waterreceiver, with which communicates the waterinductionpipe 2, leading from an elevated tank or submerged in the sump-hole, andthe water-discharge pipe 3, which is connected at its upper end with thedelivery-pipe 4 by means of an interposed throat or ejectorchamber 5.

6 represents a check-valve located in the pipe'2, which controls theflow of water into the receiver 1, and 7 indicates a float in saidreceiver. A check-valve 8 is arranged in the base of the pipe 3 and isadapted to allow the water from the receiver 1 to pass into the pipe 3,but to prevent its return.

9 represents an air-chest mounted above the receiver 1 and suitablysupported by uprights or columns 10.

11 is a piston-casing mounted on said chest and having arranged thereina sliding and oscillating piston 12, which operates an ordinary Dslide-valve 12, which controls the flow of air through ports g, h, andtin the chest to the several parts of the apparatus. An air-supply pipe13 communicates with one end of the chamber 11 and leads from an airpumpor a receiver and is supplied therefrom, and 14 represents anair-exhaust pipe provided at its upper end with a gooseneck bend 15 atits point of juncture with the said throat which is fixed to arock-shaft 18, to which is connected a crank-arm l9, jointed at itslower end to a rod 20, which is adjustablyconnected at its upper endwith a rocking lever 21,.pivoted to a bracket 22, projecting from theairchest 9. To the opposite end of the lever 21 is pivoted an adjustablelink 23, which connects said rocking lever with a laterally-projectingarm 2 L, fixed to the stem or rod 12 of the piston 12. Through thismechanism the piston 12 is oscillated bythe rise and fall of water inthe water-receiver, thereby covering and uncovering air-ports inthecylinder and casing, allowing air to enter at one end of the cylinderand discharge at the other, or vice versa, to shift the piston 12 backand forth, and thereby shift the D slide-valve, which controls the flowof air to and from the water-receiver. l

The receptacle 1 may be of any desired size and shape; but in thedrawings I have shown it as a short vertically-arranged cylinder with adome-shaped projection 26 on each end for the reception of the float 7at the opposite I00 ends of its movement. The lower end of thedischarge-pipe 3 communicates with the dome at the bottom and theair-pipe 16 with the one on top. The receptacle is preferably supportedon a base, as legs 27, which raises it high enough for the curved endsof the pipes 2 and 3. The lower ends of the inclined uprights arepreferably seated on top of the receptacle, which thus makes a verycompact structure and holds all of the parts rigidly againstdisplacement. The top dome 26 is located between two of the uprights,and a manhole 28 is formed between the other two, through which accessis had to the interior of the receptacle, preferably over the rod 18.

'A counterweight 25 is mounted upon the rock-shaft 18 andcounterbalances the weight of the float.

The ports 9, 7b, and 1 in the air-chest 9 corn municate, respectively,with the exhaust-pipe 14, the air-conducting pipe 16, and the airsupplypipe 13. In the pistoncasing are formed air admission and exhaust portsa c and cl cl, the admission-port and its companion exhaust-port (ibeing arranged on one side of the center of said casing, and the otherpair of admission and discharge ports a d are arranged on the other sideof the center of said casing. The exhaust-ports (Z d have a commonoutlet to the atmosphere at f. The piston 12 is slotted to receive theupper portion of the valve 12 and is so fitted as to have both anoscillatory and a reciprocatory movement.

One end of this piston is provided with ports a, 7), and c, and theother end with ports a, b, and c, which ports are formed in the base ofthe piston and extend to and through the respective ends thereof, asshown clearly in Figs. 5 and 6.

The piston is adapted to operate as follows: Beginning with the positionshown in Fig. 1, when the receiver 1 fills with water the float 7 risesand slightly rotates the piston 12 by means of the rock-shaft 18, arm19, rod 20, lever 21, link 23, and arm 2A, connected to valve-stem 12".This rotative motion brings the port 6, Figs. 5 and 6, over port a, Fig.7, and at the same time port I) over (2, admitting air under pressure tothe left-hand end of the piston-casing and exhausting the air previouslytaken in at the right-hand end through d and f to the atmosphere. Thepiston 12 is now driven to the right, sliding the Valve 12 with it,until port 0 uncovers a, admitting air to right-hand end, thus balancingpressures and bringing the parts to rest. Valve 12 is now in itsright-hand position, as shown in Fig. 6. Air under pressure now flowsthrough ports 6 and h into the receiver through pipe 16, driving thewater through valve 8 into the discharge-pipe 3. The float7 falls as thewater leaves, rotates the piston 12 in the opposite direction to thatdescribed before, bringing port 5 over a and 7) over (Z, giving pressureto the right-hand end and exhausting the left. The piston now moves. to.the left, bringing the valve back to the position shown in Fig. 1. Theair in the receiver now expands and flows back through pipe 16 and portit into port g and thence through exhaust-pipe 14, driving the waterabove that point out. This completes the working cycle. In order toprevent piston 2 from rotating too far so as to blind its ports, a pina, Fig. 3, is driven through the valve-chest at c, Fig. 7, passingthrough a slot 20 in the piston, as shown in Fig. 6. i

The purpose of ports a and a of the piston is to register with ports (Zcl and open to the exhaust in case the piston overtravels, thus bringingit back to its exact place.

In operation the water enters the inductionpipe 2, passing the valve 6,enters the receiving-tank 1, the valve 6 preventing the return of thewater through pipe 2. As the tank 1 fills the float 7 rises, and thecrank-arm 19, fixed to the shaft 18 of said float, will raise the rod 20and operate the rocking lever to shift the slide-valve to open the portconnection with the air-supply pipe, thereby allowing compressed air toenter the receiving-chamber through the air-pipe 16 to force the waterin said receiving-chamber out through the valve 8 into thedischarge-pipe. As soon as the water is thus forced out of thereceiving-tank the float will lower and will operate the slide-valvethrough the medium hereinbefore described in an opposite direction tothat previously described to close said air-inlet vah e and open theair-exhaust valve to permit the escape of air through the saidexhaust-port g and discharge-pipe 14:, and when the air is exhaustedfrom the receivingchamber lmore water will rush in through the valve 6,and the operation will be repeated.

It may be well to state that the capacity of the receiver mustcorrespond with one-fourth of the delivery and the entire exhaust-pipe.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, andadvantages of the invention will be readily understood without requiringan extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction maybe made within the scope of the invention without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a water-elevator, a receptacle provided with a water inlet andoutlet and an airinlet, an air-chest mounted above the receptacle andcommunicating with said air-inlet and provided with a bracket, aslide-valve and an oscillating valve for controlling the passage of airthrough the chest, the outer end of the stem of the oscillating valvebeing mounted in said bracket, a lever pivotally mounted on the side ofthe bracket, a link for connecting one end of the lever with saidvalve-stem, a rod connected with the other end of the lever, and a floatin the receptacle connected with said rod.

2. In a Water-elevator, a receptacle provided with a water inlet andoutlet at the bottom and an air-inlet at the top, said top and bottombeing each provided with a hollow dome-shaped projection, the air-inletbeing connected with the top dome and the wateroutlet with the bottomdome, a rock-shaft journaled in the receptacle, a float connected with.said shaft in position to enter said domes at the limit of its verticalmovements, a manchest, mechanism for operating the valves,

and a rod from the rock-shaft to said mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubcribing witnesses.

ANDREW BYE.

Witnesses:

J. S. SHROPSHIRE, WILLIAM GoLLINs.

